carrel

¹

or car·rell

[ kar-uhl ]

noun

1. Also called cubicle, stall. a small recess or enclosed area in a library stack, designed for individual study or reading.
2. a table or desk with three sides extending above the writing surface to serve as partitions, designed for individual study, as in a library.

Carrel

²

[ kuh-rel, kar-uhl; French ka-rel ]

noun

1. A·lex·is [uh, -, lek, -sis, a, -lek-, see], 1873–1944, French surgeon and biologist, in U.S. 1905–39: Nobel Prize 1912.

carrel

¹

/ ˈkærəl /

noun

1. a small individual study room or private desk, often in a library, where a student or researcher can work undisturbed

Carrel

²

/ ˈkærəl; kəˈrɛl; karɛl /

noun

1. CarrelAlexis18731944MFrenchMEDICINE: surgeonSCIENCE: biologist Alexis (əˈlɛksɪs; French alɛksi). 1873–1944, French surgeon and biologist, active in the US (1905–39): developed a method of suturing blood vessels, making the transplantation of arteries and organs possible: Nobel prize for physiology or medicine 1912

Word History and Origins

Origin of carrel¹

1585–95; variant spelling of carol enclosure

Word History and Origins

Origin of carrel¹

C16: a variant of carol

Example Sentences

People with Type 2 diabetes dance and sing around their office carrels, tipping their hats to Jardiance.

From Salon

Most passers-by are probably unaware that Irwin’s work once stood next to a jail, Huber said, and now on warm days, she spots students using the enclosures as outdoor library carrels.

From New York Times

You could call it ballet for the book club crowd: this spring’s library carrel’s worth of ballets based on literature, including two at the Kennedy Center.

From Washington Post

They built the carrels from nontoxic materials durable enough to sustain the kind of frequent cleanings library workers do now, and in the crib, they installed a soft, vinyl mat made of health-care-grade materials.

From Washington Post

He shares his remote refuge, a forgotten carrel on the 9th floor, with a woman with a distinct resemblance to Ozeki herself.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• alcove
• carriage
• cell
• chamber
• cubicle
• locker
• slot